We have an exclusive featurette from Hop, which is currently available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD, just in time for Easter this weekend. Hank Azaria provides the voices of both Carlos and Phil in this Universal Pictures comedy, and you can take a look at one of his recording sessions in this excerpt from the special features.

He was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted to do was rock! When teenage E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rock star drummer, he meets Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals. Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family.

Combo Pack Exclusive Bonus Features:

Phil's Dance Party - An All-New Mini-Movie starring fan-favorite chicks Phil and Carlos. Phil eats so much candy that he crashes, leaving Carlos to perform a solo of the big dance finale...the Merengue!

The World of Hop - Explore an interactive map of Easter Island to experience the making of HOP.

Carlos on Carlos: The Premiere According to Carlos - Experience the world premiere of HOP from the POV of Carlos. Viewers are given a guided tour of the party, where they can meet celebs and see all the fun!

Emotion in Motion: The Dance of Ken Daurio - Writer Ken Daurio sits down to discuss his inspiration for everyone's favorite dancing chick and reveals just how hard it was to teach Phil those awesome moves.

Post Coup Commentary: Carlos & Phil Tell All - Actor Hank Azaria reveals the truth about Carlos' and Phil's relationship, and how they imagined Easter Island would be if their coup had been successful.

Games:

E.B.'s Candy Challenge - First to the finish line in this virtual board game wins! There are some challenges along the way, including mini games like Picture Challenge, 3 Egg Monte, and Candy Fix.

Drum Along - E.B. can hit some tasty beats. Viewers compete to keep up with him as he plays a sequence of rhythms on four drums.

Pink Beret Skill Tester - Fans can find out if they have what it takes to become a Pink Beret with the skill tester! Challenges will test memory, observations skills and logic and players can earn the rank of Pink Beret, Carlos' right hand chick, or Phil's intern.

Additional Exclusive Combo Pack Features:

Digital Copy - Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie to watch on an array of electronic and portable devices.

UltraViolet: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, put them in the cloud and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smart phones, currently available in the United States only.

BD-Live: Access the BD-Live Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more.

uHear: Never miss another line of dialogue with this innovative feature that instantly skips back a few seconds on your Blu-ray™ disc and turns on the subtitles to highlight what you missed.

pocket Blu: The groundbreaking pocket Blu app uses iPhone, iPod touch, Android, PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray player. Also available on the iPad, owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket Blu made especially to take advantage of the tablet's larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that's bigger and better than ever before. pocket Blu offers advanced features such as:

Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.

Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.

Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket Blu-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.

Singer Cody Simpson talks about remaking the song I Want Candy for Hop, which arrives on Blu-ray and DVD March 23.

Singer Cody Simpson, at just 15 years of age, is already drawing comparisons to another young superstar, Justin Bieber. He was discovered in 2009 after his YouTube videos went viral, and released his first single in 2010. The Australian vocalist was also asked to remake the classic song "I Want Candy" by The Strangeloves as the theme song for Universal Pictures' Easter comedy Hop, which debuts on Blu-ray and DVD March 23. Cody Simpson is also showcased on the Hop Blu-ray bonus features in All Access with Cody Simpson, which follows him during his first red carpet experience at the premiere of Hop last year. I recently had the chance to speak with Cody Simpson over the phone, and here's what he had to say.

I'm always curious about the musical side of movies like this. The movie came out last April, so when were you first contacted about performing "I Want Candy" for Hop?

Cody Simpson: I think it was around the very beginning of last year. It all came together very quickly. I was given the opportunity to remake "I Want Candy," and I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure I lived up to people's expectations of it. It's such a classic song, and I wanted to make sure I created a new, updated, 2011 version of the track.

I thought it was really fun. It gave the song a modern spin, while still retaining the flavor of the song.

Cody Simpson: Thanks.

When you were going in, did you see anything from the movie at all, just to get a feel for the movie before you did the song? Did you see any clips or artwork or anything like that?

Cody Simpson: Yeah, I got to see how the movie looked, the animation and the whole vibe of the movie. I got to see the whole vibe of the movie, and I just wanted to make sure that I matched that, you know? I think we did so, yeah.

In remaking such a classic song like this, was there a lot of feedback from the studio about how they wanted it to sound? Were they bouncing ideas off you a lot, about how they wanted it to sound?

Cody Simpson: I had a lot of my own ideas, as well as what a lot of the producers and everyone had. I thought we mixed them together quite well.

I watched the All-Access featurette with you on the Blu-ray. I believe that was your first red carpet experience. Can you talk about what that whole day was like for you, especially having a camera follow you around the whole time?

Cody Simpson: Yeah, it was quite an experience for me. I've had many of them since then, but it was definitely something new that I had to get used to a little bit. It was kind of strange because it was just after we moved to the States, and we were getting established and working on my music.

What was it like just being so up close and personal with the fans, as opposed to going on stage and performing?

Cody Simpson: It was a new experience, and I love new experiences. It was cool. I brought along a couple of friends, a lot of family members, and we just chilled and watched the movie. It was cool being able to see the movie and hear the song.

Your career is definitely growing as a musical artist, but do you have any ambitions to do any acting? Do you see yourself transitioning into movies at all?

Cody Simpson: Definitely in the future, but not right at this moment. I want to make sure I establish this one thing first. I'll just be working on this album for a little while, making sure that I establish my musical sound and my artistry.

You have a new single out now, and a new album coming out later this summer. Can you talk a bit about how this album might be different than your previous albums, or how your style has evolved?

Cody Simpson: I'm a little more mature this time, especially with this single with T-Pain. There are a lot of dub-step elements to it. I think it's something that my fans will really enjoy, and I think it will broaden my fan base. I just hope to gain respect from a lot of people.

Are you doing a music video for that single, and have you shot it yet?

Cody Simpson: Yes, we shoot it this month. I'll be in L.A. all month working on the music video and other stuff.

I believe you'll also be touring all summer. When does that start, and who are you touring with?

Cody Simpson: I'll be touring with Big Time Rush. They asked me to be a special guest on their summer tour, so I'm doing some things with them. It should be sweet.

After this new album drops, are you going back into the studio again, or are there any other tours or projects you'll be working on after the summer tour?

Cody Simpson: Not directly after. I'll be travelling a lot internationally this year, as well as doing a lot of promotion here in the States. Yeah, I'm just looking forward to a great year.

What would you like to say to fans of yours about why they should check you out on this Blu-ray featurette?

Cody Simpson: Yes, definitely. Honestly, I just think it's an incredible movie. It's a movie for the whole family, not only the kids, but the adults. You have Easter coming up, so it's the perfect timing, I guess.

That's about all I have. Thank you so much, Cody

Cody Simpson: Thank you very much. See you later.

You can watch Cody Simpson on the All-Access featurette in Hop, which debuts on Blu-ray and DVD March 23.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released a sneak peek of the Phil's Dance Party mini-movie included on Hop's Blu-ray Combo Pack, which arrives March 23 along with the DVD release. Take a look at this 15-second teaser for this animated mini-movie featuring Phil, created exclusively for this Blu-ray release.

He was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted to do was rock! When teenage E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rock star drummer, he meets Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals. Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family.

Combo Pack Exclusive Bonus Features:

Phil's Dance Party - An All-New Mini-Movie starring fan-favorite chicks Phil and Carlos. Phil eats so much candy that he crashes, leaving Carlos to perform a solo of the big dance finale...the Merengue!

The World of Hop - Explore an interactive map of Easter Island to experience the making of HOP.

Carlos on Carlos: The Premiere According to Carlos - Experience the world premiere of HOP from the POV of Carlos. Viewers are given a guided tour of the party, where they can meet celebs and see all the fun!

Emotion in Motion: The Dance of Ken Daurio - Writer Ken Daurio sits down to discuss his inspiration for everyone's favorite dancing chick and reveals just how hard it was to teach Phil those awesome moves.

Post Coup Commentary: Carlos & Phil Tell All - Actor Hank Azaria reveals the truth about Carlos' and Phil's relationship, and how they imagined Easter Island would be if their coup had been successful.

Games:

E.B.'s Candy Challenge - First to the finish line in this virtual board game wins! There are some challenges along the way, including mini games like Picture Challenge, 3 Egg Monte, and Candy Fix.

Drum Along - E.B. can hit some tasty beats. Viewers compete to keep up with him as he plays a sequence of rhythms on four drums.

Pink Beret Skill Tester - Fans can find out if they have what it takes to become a Pink Beret with the skill tester! Challenges will test memory, observations skills and logic and players can earn the rank of Pink Beret, Carlos' right hand chick, or Phil's intern.

Additional Exclusive Combo Pack Features:

Digital Copy - Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie to watch on an array of electronic and portable devices.

UltraViolet: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, put them in the cloud and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smart phones, currently available in the United States only.

BD-Live: Access the BD-Live Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more.

uHear: Never miss another line of dialogue with this innovative feature that instantly skips back a few seconds on your Blu-ray™ disc and turns on the subtitles to highlight what you missed.

pocket Blu: The groundbreaking pocket Blu app uses iPhone, iPod touch, Android, PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray player. Also available on the iPad, owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket Blu made especially to take advantage of the tablet's larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that's bigger and better than ever before. pocket Blu offers advanced features such as:

Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.

Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.

Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket Blu-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing Hop on Blu-ray and DVD March 23. The studio has released a Blu-ray trailer, which you can watch below. You can also take a look at the full press release and cover art below the trailer.

The Easter Bunny's hare apparent leaves his ancestral home on Easter Island to pursue pop superstardom in the hilarious comedy Hop, coming to Blu-ray and DVD on March 23, 2012, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Blending state-of-the-art CGI animation with live action, Hop is a non-stop, rockin' adventure packed with humor and hijinks as a rebellious young rabbit (voiced by Russell Brand), strikes up an unlikely friendship with Los Angeles underachiever Fred (James Marsden) en route to becoming a rock star drummer.

The perfect Easter gift, the Hop Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs deliver perfect hi-def picture andperfect hi-def sound and include an all-new, never-before-seen, music-filled mini-movie, extensive bonus features and interactive games, adding hours of entertaining fun for parents and children alike. The Combo Packs also contain a Digital Copy of the film for a limited time, compatible with iTunes, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android or online retail partners as well as an UltraViolet copy, the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows by storing them in the cloud to instantly stream and download to computers, tablets and smart phones. Consumers can now truly enjoy their movies anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice.

Combo Pack Exclusive Bonus Features:

Phil's Dance Party - An All-New Mini-Movie starring fan-favorite chicks Phil and Carlos. Phil eats so much candy that he crashes, leaving Carlos to perform a solo of the big dance finale...the Merengue!

The World of Hop - Explore an interactive map of Easter Island to experience the making of HOP.

Carlos on Carlos: The Premiere According to Carlos - Experience the world premiere of HOP from the POV of Carlos. Viewers are given a guided tour of the party, where they can meet celebs and see all the fun!

Emotion in Motion: The Dance of Ken Daurio - Writer Ken Daurio sits down to discuss his inspiration for everyone's favorite dancing chick and reveals just how hard it was to teach Phil those awesome moves.

Post Coup Commentary: Carlos & Phil Tell All - Actor Hank Azaria reveals the truth about Carlos' and Phil's relationship, and how they imagined Easter Island would be if their coup had been successful.

Games:

E.B.'s Candy Challenge - First to the finish line in this virtual board game wins! There are some challenges along the way, including mini games like Picture Challenge, 3 Egg Monte, and Candy Fix.

Drum Along - E.B. can hit some tasty beats. Viewers compete to keep up with him as he plays a sequence of rhythms on four drums.

Pink Beret Skill Tester - Fans can find out if they have what it takes to become a Pink Beret with the skill tester! Challenges will test memory, observations skills and logic and players can earn the rank of Pink Beret, Carlos' right hand chick, or Phil's intern.

Additional Exclusive Combo Pack Features:

Digital Copy - Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie to watch on an array of electronic and portable devices.

UltraViolet: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, put them in the cloud and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smart phones, currently available in the United States only.

BD-Live: Access the BD-Live Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more.

uHear: Never miss another line of dialogue with this innovative feature that instantly skips back a few seconds on your Blu-ray™ disc and turns on the subtitles to highlight what you missed.

pocket Blu: The groundbreaking pocket Blu app uses iPhone, iPod touch, Android, PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray player. Also available on the iPad, owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket Blu made especially to take advantage of the tablet's larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that's bigger and better than ever before. pocket Blu offers advanced features such as:

Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live functions with ease.

Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.

Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.

Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket Blu-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.

Synopsis

From the makers of Despicable Me comes an all-new comedy about candy, chicks and rock 'n' roll!

He was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted to do was rock! When teenage E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rock star drummer, he meets Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals. Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family.

It's been a boffo weekend for Fast Five. This big budget car sequel seems to have welcomed the summer blockbuster season into the box office. It managed to crank out a spectacular $83 million. Add in international takes and it's grossed $165 million. This is particularly impressive because this surprisingly well-reviewed crowd-pleaser has managed to top the previous entry in the series which made $71 million on opening weekend.

In other news, Rich Ross of Disney is no doubt tucking his tail between his legs after his first attempt at creating a new franchise bombed big time. Prom was an utter disaster. They had predicted a $9 million opening but instead the tween film debuted to a very disappointing $5 million. It seems this won't be getting the High School Musical sequel treatment unless a ton of girls turn out in the next week or two. Doesn't look like this one is going to last long.

It was also a flop weekend for the Weinsteins with Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil also opening to poor numbers. An expected $8 million take turned out to be only $4 million. Who was even asking for this sequel?

Rio didn't fly quite as high as hoped. $18 million was forecast for the animated hit, but it took in only about $14 million.

Meanwhile, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night also did poorly. It didn't even crack the top ten. I have yet to figure out what this movie is about and it seems the rest of the moviegoing public didn't care to find out either. In it's place, Scream 4 managed to squeak in with $2.1 million.

It was another winning weekend for the movie industry with box office receipts up an estimated 34% from this time last year making everyone hope the 2011 slump is over. Rain in much of the country no doubt helped encourage moviegoers to buy a ticket and stay indoors.

You can't keep a good bird down evidently. Rio was the champ for the second weekend running. It's $26.5 million haul was enough to beat out Madea's Big Happy Family that opened to a robust $26 million. However, Tyler Perry's sixth cross-dressing film performed under expectations. Many had been projecting a $30 million opening weekend but it wasn't able to pull that off. The last two movies featuring his popular Madea character had opened at $41 million and $30 million. Are audiences getting tired of Madea?

Doing better than expected was the Robert Pattinson/Reese Witherspoon romance Water for Elephants. It seems enough Twi-hards turned out, along with older women, to bring the films opening weekend grosses to an impressive $17.5 million, about $2.5 million more than was projected. It seems like these two stars, who both needed a hit, have scored big time.

In other news, Hop managed to jump past the $100 million this weekend making it a certified hit. I hope this doesn't mean we will be forced to endure a Hop 2 next year. Speaking of animals, Disney's African Cats opened to about $6 million - a good start for a niche film. It's narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, by the way.

So that's the news. Now I'm going to hop out on the avenue (5th Avenue) with my bonnet for brunch and jelly beans. Happy Easter, everyone!

Water for Elephants was released April 22nd, 2011 and stars Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, Paul Schneider, Jim Norton, Hal Holbrook, Mark Povinelli, Richard Brake. The film is directed by Francis Lawrence.

African Cats was released April 22nd, 2011 and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Stewart. The film is directed by Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey.

Will there ever be a weekend during which a completely non-animated movie takes the top spot at the box office? I don't know. But it doesn't look like it's going to be this weekend. The tropical bird-tastic Rio will be swooping into cineplexes, and will likely fly off with about $35-40 million. I think based on how marvelously Hop has managed to do over the past two weeks that folks are still hungry for their animated fantasias. Rio seems like it's much better than the bunny movie, so I think it will play really strong. Maybe even more than the $40 million. This comes from the creative team behind the Ice Age movies, so a built in fan base should be ready to turn out as well. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs grossed an astounding $886 million. So, the foreign box office will be interesting to track on this one as well. And that will probably be where the real story lies.

It should be a big weekend all around because the highly-anticipated (or so they say) Scream 4 will be taking a stab at crowds as well. The iconic horror film's two sequels each opened to an impressive $30 million but that was a long, long time ago. Are people still going to turn out for Neve Campbell? Did they ever? Some reviews are pretty positive, others are fairly dismissive. It's expected to make about $27 million this weekend, yet whether it has legs is harder to tell. The R rating won't help with getting the teenagers in, but I expect a fair amount of Scream fans do turn out - I know I'm planning to check in on it.

I've seen a couple of places predicting a much bigger opening for Scream 4 - some projecting that it will even be the winner for the weekend - with a gross of $40 million or more. That seems a bit much, but, hey, who knows? I hope it's a big hit - Courteney Cox deserves it!

Also looking intriguing is The Conspirator from Robert Redford. This Abe Lincoln yarn might do well, like the adult-skewing films Limitless and Source Code. This is a period piece, however, so all bets are off. The King's Speech has done exceedingly well, but I'm not sure if this has the same broad appeal. It's only in 706 theaters, so it's haul won't be anywhere near as big as the other two new releases.

Attention Objectivists! The most curious entry this weekend is Atlas Shrugged: Part 1. This oddball indie movie, starring just about no one you've ever heard of, is an unlikely movie adaptation of the classic Ayn Rand novel of a mid-century dystopia. There should be a built-in audience of hard core Rand fanatics, but I have a hard time imagining this doing particularly boffo box office. It's being released on 300 screens in about 80 markets. If you're the audience for this, enjoy the philosophical discourse!

The Conspirator was released April 15th, 2011 and stars Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexis Bledel, Justin Long, Tom Wilkinson, Norman Reedus, Kevin Kline. The film is directed by Robert Redford.

Limitless was released March 18th, 2011 and stars Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Tomas Arana, Robert John Burke. The film is directed by Neil Burger.

As expected, Hop continued to dominate the box office over the weekend with an estimated $21.6 million take. It should continue to do well over the next few weeks as the holiday approaches.

Meanwhile, Arthur, Russell Brand's other effort, opened to a disappointing $12.6 million - well under the projected $18 million from the studio. This may lead to the end of Hollywood's love affair with Brand as he just doesn't seem to be leading man material as he can't open a movie. His Get Me to the Greek opened to $17.5 million and it was rated R - Arthur's PG-13 should have helped the film reach a broader audience but for once taste prevailed and moviegoers decided to pass. Studios will probably think twice before casting Brand as a leading man going forward. It seems a little goes a long way.

The happy surprise of the weekend was the phenomenal showing for Hanna. We expected it to only land mid-list with about $7 million. Instead it debuted to a very strong $12.3 million, just behind Arthur. Despite the fact that the film focuses on a young woman, the audience was 53% male. It's playing well in suburbs and small cities, too, thanks to its PG-13 rating.

Another big surprise was the big turnout for the Christian-skewing Soul Surfer which we had predicted to barely make it into the top 10 but instead it managed claw its way to the number 4 spot. Apparently several church groups organized buses to carry the faithful to the multiplex which aided this film's overall take.

Also outperforming expectations was Insidious which had the lowest week-to-week drop (-24%) for an impressive $10 million which means this little film that could isn't going anywhere and should be another feather in the cap for its filmmakers who already proved that low-budget horror can equal big box office bucks with Paranormal Activity.

Underperforming was Your Highness which didn't even break the $10 million mark. Guess this stoner comedy got lost in the shuffle despite featuring the ever-busy James Franco and recent Oscar winner Natalie Portman. Source Code tumbled 39% from last weekend but still made a respectable $9 million which means this movie, at the end of the day, will probably qualify as a success for Jake Gyllenhaal.

Limitless was released March 18th, 2011 and stars Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Tomas Arana, Robert John Burke. The film is directed by Neil Burger.

I hope you are a Russell Brand fan because he's likely to take the two top spots at the weekend box office. His turn as the reluctant Easter Bunny in Hop should be able to retain its winning streak for another week. Family films often don't suffer the same box office drop week to week since the audiences for such fare aren't as likely to show up opening weekend. It's projected to be on top of the heap with around $23 million.

Russell Brand is also starring, this time in the flesh not just the voice, in the remake of Arthur. This remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore/Liza Minnelli chestnut has reviewers asking "Why" and me very angry because why doesn't Liza even have a cameo in this? Ugh. The Arthur redux is so offensive to my delicate sensibility that I'm hoping it bombs, but industry forecasts project it to make around $16 million. I'm going to be surprised if it does that well. I mean, they don't even let him be an unapologetic drunk! What a nightmare. My guess is the retread does less than $16 million. Who is wanting to see this? Rent the original. And if you've seen it, rent the sequel, Arthur 2: On the Rocks. Both have Liza and are therefore guaranteed to be superior.

In other news, the stoner comedy Your Highness starring James Franco and Natalie Portman seems like fun for those who enjoyed Pineapple Express or Monty Python and The Holy Graill. This is the only R-rated movie opening this weekend and should do well with young men. I'm surprised its not expected to do better than its 12 million forecast, since its all about weed and knights and it has an Oscar winner in it, for chrissakes. I think it looks fun. Why not? But come to think of it, I've barely seen any press for this - Why isn't Natalie on the talk show circuit? Have I missed her?

What looks best to me on the docket this weekend is Hanna starring Saoirse Ronan as a teenage assassin raised in the wild. So basically The Bourne Identity meets Nell but with sort of an Atonement twist. Awesome sauce! The fact that Cate Blanchett lends her services makes this seem even more appealing. Oh, and Eric Bana! He's great, too. This one seems too sophisticated for the mass audience, so I'm guessing that it will only hit mid-list.

Finally this week in new releases we have Soul Surfer, about the girl surfer whose arm was bitten off by a shark. I thought this was a Lifetime movie until I realized it was actually getting a theatrical release. But I guess I'm not the target market, which is apparently Christian moviegoers. It's been aggressively marketed to them over the past week and is being released by Sony's faith-based division Affirm Films.

Personally, I still need to see Source Code which should do fairly well again this weekend. So should Insidious, though I expect a big drop off from its $13.5 million opening.

The Easter bunny movie you never asked for, Hop, bounces into theaters this weekend just in time for spring. The mixed live-action/animated pairing of Hugh Laurie and James Marsden should get enough parents and their kids to turn out for a weekend win - maybe. The film hasn't been tracking especially well and, along with its generally terrible reviews, is only expected to gross about $22 million (maybe it goes big and does $25M?). The good news for rabbit fans is that the film cost a meager $63 million, so it should recoup its cost relatively easily.

A more intriguing film opening today is the Jake Gyllenhaal thriller Source Code. It's been getting high marks (and includes the lovely Vera Farmiga and the always exceptional Jeffrey Wright) so it should play well with the older crowd and is positioned to take in something in the mid-to-high teens. So let's predict a solid $18 million for this high-concept action movie based on its positive reviews.

Insidious, meanwhile, is a low-budget horror flick starring Patrick Wilson. As it's from the makers of Paranormal Activity it should have a built-in audience of teens and scary movie fans ready to line up for a Friday night fright. Look for it to gross about $11 million.

From an industry perspective Hollywood will be keeping its collective eye on the reintroduction of Best Picture winner The King's Speech. The much-lauded period picture has already grossed a whopping $373 million internationally. So why the relaunch? This time it's been scrubbed of its naughty F-bombs so it sneaks back into the theaters as a more family-friendly PG-13 rather than its original hard R. It's getting rolled out in over 1,000 theaters across the country so it's positioned to do very well (though it was in a few more as an R last week when it grossed $1.6 million). I predict it does similar business - maybe up to 2 million? The movie is fairly innocuous despite its language so it seems to me that any teenager who was just DYING to see a movie about a King of England who was most decidedly not King Arthur has already managed to score a ticket. But if it makes a big haul, look for the studios to consider this tactic again in the future.

Hop was the big winner at the weekend box office with an almost stunning $38 million take placing it well above industry expectations. Unsurprisingly, the crowd was mostly families and kids under 12. But the parents on my Facebook and Twitter feeds who dared venture out to take in this kid flick were almost universally underwhelmed by it. The kids liked it though, so that's something. It also had the biggest opening weekend of any movie this year. Easter comes early!

Jake Gyllenhaal didn't embarrass himself with the strong, it not wildly impressive, $15 million box office for Source Code. This should mean they'll make their money back (it only cost about $32 million to make) but it continues to cast doubt on Jake's ability to open a movie above the $20 million mark which usually denotes a major "movie star". That's OK. We still like him and its glowing reviews should mean it'll play well in the next few weeks like The Lincoln Lawyer and Limitless, two other "adult movies" that have been money makers these past few weeks.

Insidious also did boffo box office, taking in over $13 million, above its expected $10 million. Horror movies don't tend to have the staying power of other sorts since their audiences tend to be aficionados of attending on opening weekend. But since it cost a paltry $1.5 million to produce, the film is already a big win and well into the black.

Sucker Punch continues to flop claiming the biggest percentage drop off of the previous weekend (-68%). Ha! That makes me laugh for some reason.

For those following The King's Speech with its new, freshly-scrubbed PG-13 rating, the movie did an OK $1.2 million which was good enough for 14th place on the list. I mean, if you haven't seen it by now, just wait until it's on DVD.

Limitless was released March 18th, 2011 and stars Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish, Andrew Howard, Anna Friel, Johnny Whitworth, Tomas Arana, Robert John Burke. The film is directed by Neil Burger.

Universal Pictures has released the third trailer for the upcoming Easter comedy Hop, which leaps into theaters across the country on April 1. Click on the video player below for the latest video glimpse at stars James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco, and an Easter Bunny voiced by Russell Brand.

The second trailer has been released for the upcoming Easter comedy Hop, which will leap into theaters nationwide on April 1. Click on the video below for the latest glimpse at this holiday adventure starring Russell Brand, James Marsden, and Kaley Cuoco. The first photos from Hop have also debuted, and you can click on any of these new shots to access our gallery.

Blending state of the art animation with live action, Hop is a comedy about E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny. On the eve of taking over the family business, E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. He encounters Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals, who accidentally hits E.B. with his car. Feigning injury, E.B. manipulates Fred into providing him shelter, and Fred finds himself with the world's worst houseguest.

Universal Pictures has debuted a Super Bowl XLV poster for the upcoming live-action/CGI adventure Hop, which hops into theaters nationwide on April 1. Take a look at this new image below, which features the Easter Bunny as voiced by Russell Brand:

The live-action/CGI family comedy revolves around an out-of-work slacker who runs over the Easter Bunny (Russell Brand) while driving home late. Since the bunny can't hop with a broken leg, the slacker is pressed into duty to save Easter. The film becomes a two-hander between the iconic holiday critter and the slacker, each of whom is running from adulthood.

Moviefone has debuted the first trailer for the upcoming Easter comedy Hop, which will be released in theaters nationwide on April 1. Click on the video player below to catch a glimpse of this new family movie starring Russell Brand, James Marsden and Kaley Cuoco:

The live-action/CGI family comedy revolves around an out-of-work slacker who runs over the Easter Bunny (Russell Brand) while driving home late. Since the bunny can't hop with a broken leg, the slacker is pressed into duty to save Easter. The film becomes a two-hander between the iconic holiday critter and the slacker, each of whom is running from adulthood.

The first theatrical poster for the upcoming live-action/CG animated holiday comedy Hop has gone online, giving us our first look at Russell Brand as the Easter Bunny. To get your first glimpse at Hop, check out the image below:

From the creators of Despicable Me comes Hop, the comic tale of Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker who accidentally injures the Easter Bunny (voiced by Russell Brand) and must take him in as he recovers. In theaters April 1, 2011!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elizabeth Perkins leaving her role in Weeds and will return to the big screen in Illumination Entertainment's and Universal's I Hop. This is a live-action/CG-animated comedy.

Perkins is quitting her five-year stint on the Showtime series. She has garnered three Emmy nominations for supporting actress as well as two Golden Globe nominations.

Tim Hill (Alvin and the Chipmunks) is directing I Hop. This film follows "an out-of-work slacker (James Marsden) who accidentally injures the son of the Easter Bunny (voiced by Russell Brand) and must take him in as he recovers."

The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco has signed on for her first studio feature role with the live-action/CG-animated hybrid comedy I Hop, from Illumination Entertainment and Universal.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Hill is directing the tale of an out-of-work slacker (James Marsden) who accidentally injures the son of the Easter Bunny (voiced by Russell Brand) and must take him in as he recovers.

Cuoco will play Marsden's sister, who allows Marsden to live with her when he gets kicked out by his parents, and finds herself dealing with the injured heir to the Easter Bunny throne.

Cuoco also has booked a role in Harry Thomason's indie feature The Last Ride. That pic, which stars Henry Thomas as country crooner Hank Williams Jr., revolves around Williams' final days and the young man (Jesse James) hired to drive him from Alabama to a New Year's Eve concert in Canton, Ohio.

Cuoco will play a gas-station owner the duo meet during their travels who has a brief, innocent romance with the driver.

James Marsden has boarded the live-action/CG-animated hybrid comedy I Hop from Illumination Entertainment and Universal, starring opposite Russell Brand.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alvin and the Chipmunks director Tim Hill is pushing his resume into hipper territory with this tale of an out-of-work slacker (Marsden) who accidentally injures the Easter Bunny (voiced by Brand) and must take him in as he recovers. As Fred struggles with the world's worst houseguest, both will learn what it takes to finally grow up.